Jesse Taylor had seen some strange things in a career that spans 39 fights over four continents.

The 29-year-old Poway native had fought in Mexico with fireworks going off during the show. He’d fought in Daytona Beach, Fla., with a biker bar serving as the backdrop. He’d fought in ex-communist Poland and Bahrain, where only men were allowed in the crowd.

He’d even had a fight called off the day before the event because his opponent was not medically cleared.

But Taylor had never had a fight canceled as he was, literally, walking down to the cage.

“I didn’t lose, but I felt like I didn’t do my job,” Taylor said. “It’s just very emotionally draining to have that happen. It’s almost worse than a loss.”

On Sept. 14, the New Jersey Athletic Commission scrapped Taylor’s middleweight bout with Elvis Mutapcic at the World Series of Fighting 5 in Atlantic City. An official had reported seeing Mutapcic take a pill from a bottle that was previously undisclosed to the commission.

Turned out, it was a case of mistaken identity. Mutapcic’s manager, who was similarly dressed that night, had a heart prescription. Mutapcic, who denied any wrongdoing, took a second blood test and released the results. The snafu was deemed the fault of Mutapcic’s corner, and both fighters received their show money.

The fight has been rescheduled for either WSOF 6 on Oct. 26 in Coral Gables, Fla., or the promotion’s next event, likely on Dec. 7 in Vancouver, Canada.

“I think it was a weird thing for him, too,” Taylor said of Mutapcic, “so I don’t have any hard feelings. For me, the positive thing is I want to fight this guy even more. Now the fire burns a little more inside.”

For Taylor, who signed with the WSOF in May, Sept. 14 was supposed to mark his return to the spotlight.

In 2008, Taylor emerged on the MMA scene when he competed on the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The former Poway High wrestler showed promise, advancing all the way to the finals, only to be removed from the show after a drunken night of misbehavior.

Taylor entered treatment and returned to the UFC, but was cut after a loss in his first professional fight for the promotion.

“Everyone’s watching you, and I don’t think I realized that when I was younger,” said Taylor, who owns a 26-9 career record. “You gotta realize a lot of people are watching you and you’re a role model for people. I’ve learned that.

“Especially in this sport, fame doesn’t last long.”

Still, a triumph over Mutapcic, a dangerous striker with a 13-2 record, could restore Taylor to prominence. The winner of their fight will face David Branch to determine the WSOF’s inaugural 185-pound champion.

A belt, too, would bring a measure of stability. After wrestling in college, Taylor realized there was little money to be made in the sport. He subsequently delved into MMA and, accepting a friend’s invitation, began training with Team Quest in Murrieta.

He since has fought in nine countries, allowing him to see such locales as Panama, Japan and, his favorite, Australia.

But Taylor could do with a little less globe-trotting. He has two boys, 9 and 4.

“They’re a big part of my motivation,” he said. “I want them to grow up and be proud and say, ‘My dad spent a lot of time doing this and was a champion.’ ”

For Taylor, the 2001 San Diego Section Masters winner at 191 pounds, that distinction could return sooner than later.